Had the Cleveland Browns not moved ahead of the Chiefs to pick Manziel, in all likelihood an alternate timeline would have played out with the Chiefs selecting Manziel instead of Dee Ford. No one truly knows if things would have played out differently for the Chiefs or Manziel in that timeline, but it is a great “what if” story to think about.

This offseason has brought on a variety of quarterback-related rumors for the Kansas City Chiefs. Most of this has been brought on by fans clamoring for something better than what the Chiefs have in Alex Smith. They see a team loaded with talent that is largely unable to reach its full potential.

They also see the window for greatness closing quickly, with star players of old such as Derrick Johnson, Tamba Hali and Jamaal Charles perhaps reaching the end of their careers. Fans are seeking an immediate answer to the conundrum the Chiefs find themselves in.

Sometimes I wonder whether our memories are so short that we have forgotten the days of Brodie Croyle, Tyler Thigpen, Matt Cassel, Tyler Palko, Kyle Orton and Brady Quinn. Finding a quarterback is not easy. Finding a quarterback who fits what your team does, and then actually goes on to do it, is even more difficult.

Perhaps one of the most talked-about scenarios for the Chiefs at quarterback for this offseason has been 37-year-old Tony Romo. Largely overlooked in this scenario is that the Chiefs’ coaches and front office have committed to Smith as the starting quarterback next year. So adding Romo doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. On the other hand, I think that because of the situation the Chiefs have found themselves in this offseason, they might be taking a look at Manziel in the near future.

Let’s go back and take a look at what coach Andy Reid spoke about with Fox Sports’ Colin Cowherd in August 2016.

NFL youth movement

Now we can join the fan hive mind and fixate on what Reid said about Romo (great quarterback who doesn’t get enough credit) or we can focus on some of the other things he said in this interview:

Cowherd: “When you call a play, how often is that play run exactly the way you wanted?”

Reid: “Yeah, well one of Alex’s [Smith] real strengths is that he is great at the line of scrimmage and he is highly highly intelligent. … I would put him up against people in the aptitude test. … You’re not going to run out of gigabytes with Alex Smith. You utilize that, that is his strength … really every play he has an option to go to something else and he is tremendous at it.”

This is not only an endorsement of Smith, but this is the reason Smith will remain the Chiefs’ best option. He’s cerebral enough to run Reid’s complex offense. Not only do you need a sharp memory to handle all the verbiage that sometimes reads longer than a haiku, but you need to be able to swallow concepts like high-low reads, reading defensive blitzing and making on-the-fly adjustments to the play and protections at the line of scrimmage.

Even for Smith, it has taken a few years to get fully comfortable with the entirety of the playbook. This is why replacing him isn’t as simple as signing another quarterback.

Cowherd: “So what can I take away watching a preseason game?”

Reid: “Well you see the execution and take [Cowboys quarterback Dak [Prescott]. I like what he is doing. For a young kid he’s doing a nice job. I drafted [Mississippi State’s Fletcher] Cox at the Eagles. … Cox told me you wait and see this quarterback that we have coming up here — man, this guy is going to be something. [Prescott, also a Mississippi State product] really just building a foundation. We’re trying to give the young kids an opportunity to execute so we can evaluate them as players so they aren’t doing so much thinking.”

Reid continued: “Now [Prescott is] young, he’s young, they’ve got a great quarterback. You know, Tony Romo probably doesn’t get enough credit for what he has done … but how about having a young guy behind him that is productive? I mean that is a beautiful thing that you can raise him in your system and he’ll get the blitzes down the road here, and we’ll see how he handles that.”

Here I think Reid hits on something important that the Chiefs just haven’t really ever had with Smith: a young quarterback behind him that is productive. Sure, the Chiefs brought in Chase Daniel, and he was productive in limited starts. Also in 2016 the Chiefs brought in Nick Foles, and he won a game in his sole start.

But the Chiefs haven’t had a young and productive quarterback behind Smith — not one they could train, develop and mold to be more than the backup. Not one they drafted and certainly not one they’ve signed as a free agent. They need to find someone to be the guy who can grow and learn in the Chiefs’ system, and Reid knows the luxury of having that.

Cowherd: “Ideally in a no-pressure situation, when would you start young quarterbacks?”

Reid: “Well, I would give him a year. I did that with Don [Donovan McNabb] and I kind of brought him along through that first year, and then the last couple of games gave him an opportunity to get in there and start. It’s the blitz game that those kids need to work on and then knowing how to take their drop versus all those different looks.”

This is for the “draft a quarterback” crowd. If the Chiefs are looking for a quarterback in the 2017 draft, they are going to look for the one who handles pressure the best.

When blitzed in the National Championship Game, Deshaun Watson went 13-for-20 with 154 yards and three touchdowns. Another quarterback who has great numbers against the blitz during his college career is Texas Tech’s Patrick Mahomes II.

It does seem that Reid believes that the blitz game is something that can be taught, so while these options may seem intriguing, the Chiefs could also choose a guy who may not have the numbers in college, but is cerebral enough to pick it up in the pros.

I think that after this interview it is safe to say that the Chiefs need a young quarterback in this system working behind Smith, but there is other information to support that conclusion.

Avg age of Chiefs roster to start season – 25.54 years old – ranked as 6th youngest in NFL.

The Chiefs have the sixth-youngest roster in the NFL and they’ve seen a tremendous amount of success in their young players. It only makes sense that if the Chiefs do decide to go after a free agent quarterback that they choose one who would fit that mold.

Of current free agent quarterbacks, the youngest available would be Manziel at only 24 years old.

Alex Smith is our quarterback

DORSEY: Going forward, Alex Smith is our quarterback. By the time I go to the Combine (Feb. 28) I’ll know where we are (at QB).

If the interview with Cowherd wasn’t enough evidence to convince you that the Chiefs have committed to Smith through the 2017 season, then these tweets from Soren Petro should do the trick. Both Reid and general manager John Dorsey have verbally committed to Smith as the starting quarterback of the Chiefs next year.

Now obviously neither Dorsey nor Reid can be held to his word at this time of the year, and there is still room for things to change. But do you really think it will? For better or for worse we’re stuck with Alex Smith for at least one more year. Why? Because KC is not going to find itself with a better option at starting quarterback this year. Tom Bradys don’t just grow on trees, unfortunately.

I also have a question for the Romo crowd out there who are screaming at the top of their lungs that Romo is better than Smith: Why would the Chiefs replace a three-year starter in their system with a 37-year-old who cannot stay healthy?

It’s not even a lateral move. Signing or trading for Romo would be like me trading in my 2016 Mazda 3 for a 2011 Mazda 3 that has more miles, a bad ignition and an oil leak, but slightly better gas mileage. You just don’t do it.

What the Chiefs need to do is to find someone to occupy the spot behind Smith as more than simply the backup.

Everyone loves a redemption story, especially Andy Reid

“As far as Michael’s [Vick] situation, that was a bit of a different situation. … However, I felt that as long as they go through the repentance process and do those things that are needed there, that in certain cases, they could — people should be given a second chance. That’s what America is. As long as they learn from the first situation.”

When Reid was asked about what he needed to remind his current players in regards to Rice:

“I would say that certainly we’re [football players and coaches] just a microcosm of society. So, we have the same issues here that you have in the world, and so constant reminders are important I think on a lot of things, for all of us.”

Over the past year a lot of my colleagues have had to repeat these sentiments of coach Reid in response to the Chiefs drafting of Tyreek Hill.

These players deserve a second chance because they’ve paid their debt to society and they’ve seemingly learned from it. Having Hill and Ware on the team not only serves as a constant reminder for everyone that issues of domestic violence and driving under the influence plague our society, but it also serves as a reminder that people can change. This should be no different for Manziel and his issues.

It’s no secret that Johnny’s personal life has been a whirlwind of alcohol abuse, drug use, and most recently, domestic violence. When he entered the league in 2014, Manziel was completely unprepared mentally and emotionally for the responsibilities that came next. He was not mature enough to understand the type of excellence and personhood that was demanded of him as the leader of a football team.

This past season it became painstakingly clear to Manziel that he needed to change his ways. From the sidelines he looked on and saw the success of his former Texas A&M teammate Mike Evans. His actions next showed that he clearly yearns for that type of success himself.

On January 19, Manziel set out on Twitter to set the record straight about his recent autograph signings and about how he’s trying to change (these tweets have since been deleted):

“No lie.. I was a douche in 2016 I’m just trying to be a good PERSON again#LostInTheSauce”

“Haven’t been this happy in a long time man. I appreciate all the people in my life who reached out during the truly rough patches in ’16”

“Just had this brought to to my attention. I’m not charging a penny for a damn “selfie” at the super bowl. Dumbest thing I’ve ever heard”

“I’m doing this signing for the people (especially Texans) who have stuck with me through all the mistakes I’ve made these past years #tru“

What we seldom see when a player falls from grace like Manziel is the road to redemption.

Because of social media we can now see that pathway for Manziel. We see his deleted tweets expressing his desire for change. We see that he is working with highly esteemed quarterback coach George Whitfield Jr. who has worked with Manziel in the past when he was at Texas A&M. We see that he has invested his time and money in training at The Athlete Factory in San Diego to get his body back into football shape. We see that he has paid his debt to society for his wrongdoings and that he is ready to mature and grow.

If Manziel can continue on this path to redemption there is no doubt in my mind that another NFL team — one with success, structure, and a strong locker room — will give him a chance to play again in the league. Perhaps this team is the Kansas City Chiefs.

Affordability

One factor that a lot of people aren’t considering is the Chiefs’ lack of cap space. Depending on who you ask today the Chiefs have somewhere between $1.7 millionand $4 million in projected cap space.

That is not a lot to work with and likely at the bottom of the NFL. Dorsey has done some cap wizardry in the past, but with impending free agents Eric Berry and Dontari Poe, every penny is going to be important for the Chiefs.

I expect tough decisions, cuts, restructures, and even trades to potentially open up some cap space for Kansas City. Even if the Chiefs cut the two most likely cut candidates in Jamaal Charles and Nick Foles, they would only be saving around $13 million against the cap.

If the Chiefs are going to be looking at any free agent quarterbacks they are going to have to fall in the affordable column (and that may be an understatement). Many will consider Manziel lucky if he gets another shot in the NFL and it is not extraordinary to think that Manziel would settle for a prove-it deal.

Something along the lines of the deal the Chiefs gave Ware following his re-entry into the NFL, which was a two-year deal with $360,000 and $600,000 base salaries. Maybe Manziel will demand more than that, but incentives and signing bonuses don’t all count towards the cap so the Chiefs could sweeten the pot.

Ability

Red zone and versus the blitz

This past season there were only six teams that were worse than Chiefs at scoring in the red zone. That means there were 25 teams that were better than them when it came to scoring in the red zone. You don’t need me to tell you how terrible that is and that it needs to improve.

This play by Manziel is one that you don’t see a whole lot of guys make in the NFL. The 49ers send seven rushers. Even with the running back in pass protection, you still are one man down in protection and that’s only if everyone gets to their assignments.

Of course the running back is late to pick up the free blitzer and Manziel has no choice but to throw the football. He puts the football where only his guy can get it while three free rushers are charging right at him. Talk about poise.

Improvisation and escapability

Perhaps what Manziel is most known for is his ability to improvise and escape when protection breaks down and he is forced to hold onto the ball. This was when Manziel was at his best in college and, despite popular opinion, he was also great at this in the NFL at times.

Here we see Manziel read the defense, change the protection at the line of scrimmage, and get the snap off in time. The coverage down the field is good and when his protection breaks down he scrambles to his right and gets the ball to receiver Travis Benjamin.

First of all I’d like to acknowledge how atrocious Manziel’s footwork was in the pocket on this play. Really it looks like he’s just being lazy, which considering his issues at this time doesn’t surprise me.

After a quick pump Manziel pulls down the ball because of the two defensive lineman in his face. He is aware of his height disadvantage and the likelihood that a ball thrown here would end in a pass deflection or worse. Because of this he rolls to his right side and communicates to tight end Gary Barnidge.

Barnidge gives Manziel enough space to get him the football without the defenders having a shot at it.

Quick throws

Reid’s West Coast offense often utilizes quick throws. Manziel is capable of reading a defense quickly and completing quick slants and crosses. This throw in particular has that nice sidearm action to it.

Big play potential

One of Smith’s biggest critiques is that he doesn’t create enough big plays with his arm. Sure he has impressive scrambles every blue moon, but rarely does he make the big throws that wow you.

Manziel was known as playmaker in college. He was one of the most exciting quarterbacks to grace the college football stage in a long time. Just because his time with the Browns was considered a failure does not mean that he is incapable of making special plays happen like he did in college.

This pass was thrown for a good 25 yards and goes for another 40 after the catch. Manziel creates this play when he is forced out of the pocket. He doesn’t bother to reset his feet because there are two defenders in front of him closing fast. Regardless he has just enough arm to gun it past the safety.

This was perhaps Manziel’s best play as a Cleveland Brown. Not only did it seal his first win, but it showed off his ability. Here he was able to avoid the blitz, keep his eyes downfield, reset his feet and deliver a beautiful pass that was on time and target for 60 yards and the score.

Conclusion

I hate to be the bearer of bad news for the kingdom, but like it or not Smith is your quarterback for 2017 unless something drastically changes. That is OK though, because the future is still looking bright for your Kansas City Chiefs.

The Chiefs need to find themselves a young quarterback to learn the ropes behind Smith. I know I am not alone in this sentiment and I can guarantee you it is on the front office’s mind. Like in all instances, they will explore all options including free agency to seek out an answer to this problem.

Because of his age, situation, affordability, and ability, Manziel is about as perfect of a fit as you’ll find in free agency for the Chiefs. For Manziel the Chiefs offer a shot at redemption in the league that told him enough is enough just a year ago. For the Chiefs, Manziel offers them a potential solution to what the future of the quarterback position could be. His cost will not hamstring the future of the team and it will not rule out the possibility of the Chiefs drafting a quarterback.

So while you may find yourself rooting for Romo, Tyrod Taylor or Kirk Cousins in free agency, you may want to take a step back and consider the possibilities if the Chiefs took a chance on Manziel. It’s exciting to think that maybe, just maybe, the Chiefs could harness even a bit of that superstardom that Manziel possessed in college.

It also means that your team could potentially help a young man get his life back on the right track, which is something that you should always be rooting for.

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